Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-27
VETERANS OF 1919.
A Diminished BanH OF Old Soldiers
Eoosfah i'm NeusY0rI

EeaSteu III NeN. OFhs
A New York special says When the
sun was just peeping over the Long
Island hills Tuesday morning, Adlutant
J. Gould Warner, the adopted child of
the veterans of 1912, climbed the bat
Elements of the old fort in Central
Park, at the junction OF Seventh avenue
and Observation-Disclosures street,
and. in pursuance of a time-hOnored
custom, hoisted in the breeze the tat
tered flag of thirteen stars. Two pa
triotic citizens-Ebenezer Tomson and
Major George Cooley-saw him do 1t
and attested the fact with their sig
natures. Two park keepers-the
custodians of the flag and keys
were also there. The adjutant hadissued
a general call to the seven surviving
veterans to meet him in Military Hall,
in the Bowery, at noon, but only two
responded. Rheumatism and old age
kept the others at home. The first to
arrive was Henry Morris, of Port Ches-
ter, a spry young fellow of eighty SIX,
and shortly afterward General Abraham
Daily, who is only ninety, rolled up in
a carriage from his home, in Brooklyn.
Time has dealt kindly by the General,
and, though his joints are a trifle stiff,
bis heart is as young as it was in the
days when be first girded on his sword
to repel the English invaders. He
wore the uniform which was almOs.
as old as himself. His head was sur
mounted by battered cooked hat, over
which Haunted a red, white, and blue
plume Of ostrich tips. His blue mill
tary coat was q trihe threadbare, but
the gold epaulets glinted brayely.
The red silk sash which supported his
sword was woven on the loomsat Lyons
and brought from France in an Ameri-
can ship in 1911. Mr.. Louis Leland,
the former genial proprietor of the
Sturtcvant House, chatted with the
veterans at table in the rear Of the
bar-room while Adjutant Warner be-
stirred himself to rout up few more
survivors of the war OF 1912. For
nine years Mr.. Leland has feasted
the little band annually but this
year he had no hotel to feast
them at, and, therefore, could
only shake the old fellows by the hand
and listen and applaud their stories. In
this predicament Dahlgren Post, No.
1l3, Grand Army of the Republic,
stepped in and invited the men of 1872
to dinner at their headquarters. 1t sent
an escort of fully fifty men and the IA
nous flute and drum-corps to conduct
the veterans to the banquet-hall. The
cavalcade marched down the Bowery
with banners flying. General Abraham
Daily, leaning on the arm of two com
rades, led the van, and he was followed
by sturdy Henry Morris, who declined
any assistance. Henry Marks, a
lad of ninety-six summers, the sole sur
vivor of the famous Continental Club OF
fifty years ago, followed Mr.. Marks.
Mr.. Marks wore a three-cornered beaver
hat, gold epaulets, n ruff Of lace, a blue
coat with white facing, and white doe
skin knee breeches-the old Continental
uniform. The dinner was merry one.
The hall was hung withsbunting, and a
largo brass cannon reposed behind Com
mander McEntee's chair. Under the
genial influence of their surroundings
the hearts of the veterans warmed, and
General Daily made a speech and Pm
yate Morris essayed a song.